Wire packaging machine



Dec. 10, 1963 J. c. BITTMAN 3,113,745

WIRE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGIINVENTOR.

.ESS C. BITTMAN M, my Qmu ATTORNEYS Dec. 10,-1963 J. c. BITTMAN3,113,745

WIRE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 ///V/Al 11J1 llli l V I A I F'IGZ INVENTOR.

JESS C. BITTMAN om, [My M1 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,745WIRE PACKAGING MACHINE Jess C. Bittman, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignorto The Vaughn Machinery Qornpany, Cuyahoga Falls, ()hio, a corporationof Ohio Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,761 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-83) Thepresent invention relates generally as indicated to a wire packagingmachine and more particularly to a machine of the stationary block typeby which coils of different diameters may be formed.

In such a machine there is provided a stationary take-up block, aroundwhich wire is wrapped by a flyer, and thus drawn through a die, forexample, the convolutions of the wire dropping by gravity from the blockinto a wire-receiving drum or the like that is supported on a turntabledisposed beneath the block. In order that a machine of this type may becontinuously operated there is usually provided an accumulator which isdisposed between the block and the wire-receiving drum to hold anaccumulation of wire convolutions coming off the block during theinterval of time that the drum and the completed coil therein is removedfrom the turntable and the next empty drum put in its place.

It is one principal object of this invention to provide a wire packagingmachine of the character described in which the turntable may be drivenat different speeds in opposite directions to package the wire in coilform of desired diameter either smaller or larger than the block.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine of thecharacter indicated in which the speed of the turntable is continuouslyvaried from maximum in one direction to zero and from zero to maximum inthe opposite direction and vice versa to package the wire in coil formconsisting of spiral layers with the convolutions alternatelyprogressively increasing and decreasing in diameter to provide a neatand compact package from which the wire may subsequently be payed offwithout snarling or tangling It is another object of this invention toprovide a machine of the character indicated in which the turntable isrotated in opposite directions by a simple twomotor drive anddifferential gearing whereby only variation in speed of one motor isrequired to turn the turntable at difierent speeds and in oppositedirections.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrativeembodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view with the head partly in section showinga preferred form of wire packaging machine according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View showing one spiral layer of a package adaptedto be formed by the use of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view on enlarged scale taken along the line33, FIG. 1, showing the variable speed drive means for the turntableupon which the wire-receiving drum is supported to receive theconvolutions descending from the take-up block and;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an automatic control circuitfor uniformly changing the speed and direction of rotation of theturntable with respect to the fixed take-up block.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1,the machine head 1 has a tubular fixed shaft 2 through which the wire Wpasses downwardly from a guide sheave 3 and over a swivel sheave 4 forwrapping around the take-up block 5 by rotation of flyer assembly 6thereabout. Flyer 6 is thus driven by belt 7, gear reducer 8, and belt9, the latter being trained over the drive pulley of motor 10. The block5 is fixedly mounted on the lower end of shaft 2 and as the wire W,guided over sheave 11 of flyer 6, is wrapped under tension around thebeveled shoulder 14 of the block, the convolutions are forced upwardlybetween the periphery of block 5 and the presser roll 15 mounted on thetlyer. As the convolutions move above roll 15 they are free to drop downaround block 5 and through the funnel shaped guide 16 which is supportedon the arms 17 into the wire-receiving drum D on the turntable is. Theguide 16 carries horizontally swingaole accumulator fingers 19 which, asevident, when swung into dot-dash position, intercept the descent of theconvolutions whereby the wire W therebeneath may be cut and the filleddrum D removed and an empty drum D substituted therefor. In themeantime, the convolutions of wire W will build up on the accumulatorfingers 19 as a hank which will drop down into the empty drum D when thefingers 19 are swung outside the guide 116. The block 5 may be invertedwith beveled shoulder 14 facing downward, if desired.

As apparent, when the turntable 13 is driven at zero speed, the wireconvolutions will be accumulated in the drum D to form a coil of aboutthe same diameter as the block 5. However, if a package or coil oflarger diameter is desired, the turntable 18 will be driven in the samedirection as the flyer 6 and, conversely, if a package or coil ofsmaller diameter is desired, the turntable 18 will be driven in theopposite direction. A coil of varying diameter for neatness andcompactness may be formed by driving the turntable 13 at varying speedsand in opposite directions.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the turntable 18 has a central downwardlyextending shaft 20 which is journalled in suitable bearings in housing21 in the blocks 22 mounted on the turntable base 23. The lower end ofthe turntable drive shaft 29 has keyed thereon the cage spider or crank24 of dilierential gearing 25 with the bevel pinions 26 thereof meshingwith the bevel gears 27 and 2d journalled on the turntable drive shaft2% and driven in opposite directions by the respective motors 29 and 3tBy way of example, one drive motor 3%} is a /2 HP. AC. motor having aconstant speed of 1140 r.p.m. whereas, the other motor 29 is a /2 HP.variable speed DC. motor adapted to be varied in speed from 432 to 1725rpm. If a 22" diameter block 5 is employed to deliver the wire at say300' per minute, is. at fiyer speed of about 50 rpm, the turntable, whenrotated at 50 rpm. in the direction of the helical convolutions, willproduce a coil of about ll" diameter and when the turntable speed is 25rpm. in the opposite direction, a 40 diameter coil will be produced.Thus, if the speed of the DC. motor 29 is alternately progressivelyincreased and decreased, the wire W will be collected in the form ofalterate spiral layers as in FIG. 2 with the diameter of theconvolutions first increasing gradually from, say ll diameter to 40diameter and then gradually decreasing fnom 40" diameter to 11''diameter as the DC. motor speed is increased from 432 to 1725 rpm. andthen decreased from 1725 to 432 r.p.m. A differential gearing mechanism25 as herein shown, will provide turntable speeds equal to one-half thealgebraic sum of the speeds of the gears 27 and 28.

Herein the upper gear 27 is driven by the D.C. motor 29' by way of asprocket and chain drive 31 and a belt and pulley drive v3% and,similarly, the lower gear 2% is driven by the A.C. motor 3% through asimilar sprocketchain drive '36 and belt-pulley drive 34.

In the gear 27 is driven by motor 29 at speeds between 200* r.p.m. and50- r.p.m. in the direction indicated and if the gear 28 is driven bymotor 39 at a constant speed of 100 r.p.m. in the opposite direction,the turntable 18 will be driven at speeds between 50 r.p.m. in the samedirection as gear 27 and 25 r.p.m. in the opposite direction.

In FIG. 4 is shown a schematic diagram of the variable speed D.C. motor2% including a reactor 35 which effects alternate increase and decreaseof the speed of the D.C. motor 29. The D.C. motor as is represented as ashunt motor and as known in the art the speed of a shunt motor can beadjusted by changing either the field flux or the voltage applied to thearmature. Herein by way of example, the field flux is changed by varyingthe shunt field current utilizing a tr'heostat 36 in series with thefield winding 37, whereby in a shunt motor designed for variable speedoperation, as much as a 6:1 variation between maximum and minimum speedsmay be achieved.

For progressively increasing and decreasing the field current and thuscorrespondingly changing the speed of the D.C. motor 29, the contact arm32% of the rheostat 36 is mounted on a movable cam follower 39 whichengages a slowly reciprocating cam bar 43 connected, for example, to thepiston d1 of a double acting cylinder 42. The cam bar 4t) is providedwith a switch actuating member 43 to reverse the direction of movementof the cam bar at the ends of its strokes. The piston 41 in the cylinder42 is moved in opposite directions by actuation of a solenoid operatedfour-way valve 4 which has an inlet port 4 6 conneotible with a liquidpressure source, a. pair of motor ports 47; 47 connectible with theports of the cylinder 42, and a pair of return ports 48; 1-8communicable with a liquid reservoir. etween the respective motor andcylinder ports are disposed air over oil units 49 and in one of them isan adjustable throttle valve 59 for restricting flow into and from thecylinder 42 to thus achieve desired speed of reciprocation of the pistonll and cam bar 40.

Thus, assuming that the four-way valve has been previously operated byenergization of the left solenoid 51 by closing of the left switch 53 tocause fluid under pressure to flow through the throttle valve 5d, thepiston 4 1 will move toward the right at a desired rate of speedgradually decreasing the field resistance and when the member 43 engagesthe right switch 52, the right solenoid 54 of the four-way valve 45 isenergized to communicate the night motor port 47 with the right cylinderport to cause the piston il and cam bar 4% to move to the left toincrease the field resistance until the member 42; engages and closesthe left switch 53 to again energize the left solenoid 51 of thefour-Way valve 4-5. As the piston 41 and cam bar 46 move to the left asaforesaid, the displacedfluid from unit 49 will pass through thethrottle valve 50- to the left return port 48 and such throttling of theexhaust will control the speed of movement of the piston 4d and cam bar40 at the desired rate of speed.

With the control circuit as depicted in FIG. 4, the convolutions asdeposited on the turntable 18 will be arranged in spiral layers startingfrom minimum diameter and increasing to maximum diameter and thencedecreasing progressively in diameter from maximum to minimum betweencore C to the inside of drum D, whereby a neat and compact wire packageis formed. The switches 52 and 53 are mounted for adjustment on support55 with respect to the actuating member 43 to control the range of speedadjustment through the rheostat 36 and, similarly, the throttle valve 5dmay be adjusted to control the speed of reciprocation of the cam bar 46to thus increase or decrease the space between the convolutions of thespiral layers.

In summary it can be seen that the present invention provides asimplified reversible turntable 18 utilizing small /2 HP.non-reversingdrive motors 29 and 33 operating through the differentialgearing system 25 to drive the turntable in either direction at adesired speed to produce packages of diameter smaller than or largerthan the block 5. Moreover, by alternately varying the speed of theturntable 1-8 from maximum to zero in one direction and from zero tomaximum in the opposite direction and vice versa neat and compactpackages are produced in which the convolutions are collected in spirallayers.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided thefeatures stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent ofsuch, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A wire packaging machine comprising a wire take-up block;

a flyer and drive means therefor operative to rotate said flyer aboutsaid block, said flyer having wire guide means to wrap wire helicallyaround said block; and

a turntable and drive means therefor operative to rotate said turntable,said turntable being disposed below said block to collect wireconvolutions descending from said block;

said drive means for said turntable comprising a pair of electric drivemotors and differential gearing operatively connecting said motors tosaid turntable for rotation of the latter at a speed equal to one-halfthe algebraic sum of the speeds of said motors.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein one of said motors has adjustablespeed varying means to cause rotation of said turntable in oppositedirections to vary the diameter of the wire convolutions collectedthereon.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein one of said motors has adjustablespeed varying means to cause rotation of said turntable in oppositedirections to vary the diameter of the wire convolutions collectedthereon; and means for continuously adjusting said speed varying meansto effect laying of spiral layers of wire convolutions on said turntablethat change progressively from minimum diameter to maximum diameter andvice versa.

4. The machine of claim 1 wherein said differential gearing comprisescoaxial drive gears rotated in opposite directions by the respectivemotors, and a spider keyed to said turntable having a gear in mesh withboth drive gears.

5. The machine of claim 1 wherein said differential gearing comprisescoaxial drive gears rotated in opposite direction by the respectivemotors, and a spider keyed to said turntable having a gear in mesh withboth drive gears; one drive motor being of variable speed type to driveone drive gear in one direction at speeds greater than and less thanthat at which the other drive gear is driven in the opposite directionby the other motor whereby said turntable may be driven in oppositedirections at speeds corresponding to one-half the algebraic sum of thespeeds of said drive gears.

6. The machine of claim 5 wherein said one drive motor is a D.C. motor,and said other motor is a constant speed AC. motor.

7. The machine of claim 5 wherein a speed varying means is operativelyassociated with said one drive motor to continuously vary the speed ofsaid one drive gear to effect laying of spiral layers of wireconvolutions on said turntable.

8. A wire packaging machine for making a dense, compact package of Wirecomprising a vertical stationary take-up block; a flyer and drive meanstherefor operative to rotate said flyer about said block atsubstantially a constant speed, said flyer having wire guide means towrap wire helically around said block for descent therefrom in the formof helical convolutions; and a turntable beneath said block and drivemeans therefor operative to rotate 5 said turntable about the axis ofsaid block and of the convolutions descending therefrom, said drivemeans for said turntable including speed and direction changing meansoperative to continuously vary the speed of said turntable from zero toone maximum which is substantially less than the constant speed of saidflyer and which is against the direction of the descending convolutionsand back from said one maximum to zero, and from zero to a greatermaximum which closely approaches the constant speed of said fiyer andwhich is in the direction of the descending convolutions and back fromsaid greater maximum to zero thereby to form a Wire package on saidturntable comprising spiral layers of Wire alternately increasing anddecreasing in diameter from. a diameter less than, to a diameter greaterthan, the diameter of the helical convolutions as Wrapped around saidblock.

References tCitesl in the file of this patent UNKTED STATES PATENTS2,849,195 Richardson et a1 Aug. 26, 1958 2,857,116 Kralft et a1. Oct.21, 1958 2,886,258 Haugwitz May 12, 1959 2,929,577 Henning Mar. 22, 19603,013,742 Bittman Dec. 19, 1961

8. A WIRE PACKAGING MACHINE FOR MAKING A DENSE, COMPACT PACKAGE OF WIRECOMPRISING A VERTICAL STATIONARY TAKE-UP BLOCK; A FLYER AND DRIVE MEANSTHEREFOR OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID FLYER ABOUT SAID BLOCK ATSUBSTANTIALLY A CONSTANT SPEED, SAID FLYER HAVING WIRE GUIDE MEANS TOWRAP WIRE HELICALLY AROUND SAID BLOCK FOR DESCENT THEREFROM IN THE FORMOF HELICAL CONVOLUTIONS; AND A TURNTABLE BENEATH SAID BLOCK AND DRIVEMEANS THEREFOR OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID TURNTABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAIDBLOCK AND OF THE CONVOLUTIONS DESCENDING THEREFROM, SAID DRIVE MEANS FORSAID TURNTABLE INCLUDING SPEED AND DIRECTION CHANGING MEANS OPERATIVE TOCONTINUOUSLY VARY THE SPEED OF SAID TURNTABLE FROM ZERO TO ONE MAXIMUMWHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS